"You bastard," Hall said.

Felipe Duarte doubled over with laughter. "Mateo the Detective!" he chortled.

"O.K.," Hall laughed. "So I was raped."

"Raped is the right word, chico."

"When did she take you into her bed, Felipe?"

"Long ago. My first week in San Hermano. Then once more after that. I gave way for an American aviator who came here to sell planes to the government. He was succeeded in a week by two men, a local señorito named Madariaga and the First Secretary of the French Embassy. After that I just stopped noticing."

"Who is her husband?"

"She has no husband."

"She was wearing a wedding ring, Felipe."

"That's a new development. I never heard of her having a ring or a husband."